You know, this may have been the biggest disappointments of my Montreal trip, not because it's terrible but because it simply did not live up to the hype. 4.5*? Not at all, in my experience.
The positives: The free bread was incredible, the portion sizes were beyond generous, and the prices were very reasonable.
The negatives: Everything was too rich (it's hard for me to frame this as a negative but when you start eating the food, you realize it's just too heavy). The $22 "Pied de Cochon" came with the richest mashed potatoes and fried thing on top and very hearty sauce underneath. The huge piece of meat would've been enough for dinner for a family. It felt like a chore to eat it because on the one hand, I didn't want to be wasteful but on the other hand, how could anyone eat something so heavy?
I'm clearly in the minority here but it just wasn't an enjoyable experience.